Fancy a flutter?

Boro are the 4/6 favourites with SkyBet this evening, with QPR as far out as 9/2 for the three points.

I personally can’t look past David Nugent to score and Boro to win at 5/2!

16:26Dominic Shaw

Boro v QPR: Reasons to be optimistic and cautious

There are many uncertainties in the Championship, what to expect of a Neil Warnock side isn’t one of them.

And so the experienced gaffer will prowl the touchline at the Riverside tonight, kicking every ball, launching himself into every tackle, making himself heard to the poor fourth official at every given opportunity.

The bottom line is the fact that Warnock will be looking to inspire a change in results for struggling Rangers, a side fancied to challenge at the start of the season but looking more like mid-table fodder than promotion candidates at this stage.

If Warnock demands anything, though, it’s endeavour and effort, making tonight’s televised clash a difficult one for Boro as they look to recover from that defeat at Hull.

Ainsworth: Hasselbaink would be perfect for QPR

Former Boro striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has been linked with a move to QPR to become permanent manager at Loftus Road.

Jimmy quashed the speculation the other day, but that hasn’t stopped former QPR player Gareth Ainsworth from praising the Burton Albion boss and talking up his prospects.

(Image: Action Images / Paul Redding)

“I believe Jimmy is a great person and a great man. He has earned the right and the respect to manage a big club, and QPR are a big club who are still close to my heart – I still look out for their results.

“I know Jimmy personally and I stood in the next dugout to him on a couple of occasions last season. He did a great job at Burton last season, getting them playing some attractive football, and he would be a very good manager for QPR if he gets the job.”

15:59

All the key stats for tonight's game

Anything you need to know about tonight’s game?

Here are all the key numbers for Boro v QPR!

After winning three successive home matches against QPR, Middlesbrough have lost the last two.

QPR have won their last four league games home and away against Middlesbrough, scoring two or more goals in each match.

No Championship side has either dropped more points from leading positions (10) or won more from losing situations (seven) this season than QPR.

Middlesbrough have won five and lost none of their last six games at the Riverside; recording five shutouts in the process.

The R’s have lost four consecutive away games for the second time in this calendar year. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 on the road in league competition.

Stewart Downing has created more goalscoring chances for Boro than any other player this season (33).

Report: Southampton set to recall Jack Stephens

The 21-year-old has found playing time in the North-east at a premium since agreeing a season-long loan move to Boro back in July.

The England Under-21 international, who has a contract at St Mary’s Stadium until 2019, has clocked just 11 minutes of Championship football this season.

But he was hauled off at half-time in the win over Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Brewers, and the arrival of Manchester City loanee Bruno Zuculini seems to have knocked Stephens further down the pecking order on Teesside.

Boro Notebook

Boro Notebook 5 - Stability in the job

We’d be naive to think he’ll be here forever, of course, but the stability from above must make it so much easier for a manager to succeed.

Neil Warnock said exactly that this week when he fell just short of hailing Steve Gibson as the best human being on the planet.

Warnock has been there, done it and bought a wardrobe load of t-shirts and he’ll realise how fortunate Karanka is.

As for the Boro manager, he seemed relaxed, refreshed and confident in his press conference yesterday.

If the same can be said of his squad then Boro could return from the international break in fine style tonight - prompting QPR into action as they look for yet another gaffer.

12:08Dominic Shaw

Boro Notebook 4 - AK's stock on the rise

Managers can often find themselves taking one step forward and two back, having to rebuild a damaged reputation after painfully getting a sacking scribed into their CV. I noticed Tony Mowbray was into fifth favourite for the Fulham job earlier this week.

Jumping ship won’t cross his mind at the minute with Coventry seemingly on the up but it shows his stock is rising again. Good!

(Image: PA)

Aitor Karanka’s stock has been rising from the moment he took charge here, even if Boro did fall short last season.

But the happenings of the last fortnight or so must once again make it hit home for Karanka that he couldn’t ask for a better place to start a career.

12:06Dominic Shaw

Boro Notebook 3 - Jumping ship

Take Paul Lambert, a big job in the waiting after he’d worked wonders at Norwich - an advocate of attacking, exciting football and the culture to call upon of the experience he gained playing abroad.

By the time he’d left Villa, it seemed no club would want to touch him with a 10ft pole.

Big Nige, rumoured to be in the mix for a number of jobs, seemed destined for the chop when Leicester were destined for the drop last year.

He still got the boot despite working wonders but it’s just a matter of time until he gets another gig with his reputation firmly in tact.

Steve Kean was a highly rated coach when he was appointed Blackburn boss. He left a laughing stock.

Steve Clarke seemed hard done to when he was sacked at West Brom but it was Reading who offered him the opportunity to start again.

That’s what supporters at the Madejski will probably find hard to stomach - that the Scot was ready to jump at one of the first opportunities.

12:03Dominic Shaw

Boro Notebook 2 - Managerial merry-go-round

Even by Championship standards, the last fortnight of managerial upheaval has been extreme.

In Chris Ramsey and Kit Symons, decisions to wield the axe came as no real surprise, particularly when you look at the clubs they were at.

Fulham manager Kit Symons

Powell and Bowyer on the other hand - even if it is the Venkys we are talking about - raised a few eyebrows.

But the incoming bosses - and those said to be on the move - are prime examples of the ever fluctuating judgement of any football manager.

12:02KEY EVENT

Boro Notebook 1 - No surprises

Did you strut into work with a spring in your step this morning? I’m not quite convinced Steve Clarke will have done.

A sheepish look or two as he ambled into his office at Reading’s training ground which he looked set to leave behind yesterday.

As for Fulham, the club he was reportedly ready to join before what I think we can safely describe as a dramatic U-turn, the recruitment team there are back to square one in their search for a new boss.

Not to worry, they should have mastered the art by now. For Fulham and QPR have had seven managers between them since Aitor Karanka took charge at Boro, that’ll be nine when the teams appoint again in the coming weeks.

The most surprising thing about a stat like that is the fact it doesn’t come as a surprise.

12:00

Boro notebook

Dom’s putting his feet up for the day in live blog terms but he is on the Boro notebook this lunchtime!

11:40

800 up for Boro fan Alan

Congratulations Alan, what an achievement!

11:39

How have Boro fared recently against QPR?

In a few words?

Not so well.

Boro have lost each of their last four meetings with QPR and you have to go back over five years for the last Boro success in this fixture, when two Barry Robson penalties secured a 2-0 win at the Riverside.

We’d settle for a repeat tonight.

The last time they met was in March 2014, when the West London side won 3-1 here with two stoppage-time strikes from Ravel Morrison and Bobby Zamora doing the damage.